A company that ships packages aims to deliver the right products to its customers as quickly as possible. Several factors play a role, but the warehouse is central in this process. Are you already using barcodes? If you deliver the wrong product due to a mistake in the warehouse, it costs time and money. A wrong delivery also damages your company’s reputation. Let’s break down the cost of a picking error:
Customer service contact
(approximately 5 minutes)
Processing the return
in the warehouse (approximately 5 minutes)
Picking, packing, and shipping
the correct product (approximately 3 minutes)
Shipping costs
(2x) and packaging material (10 euros)
If you convert the 10 euros into time, a single wrong order costs about 30 minutes. These are losses you want to avoid. Using barcodes is one of the ways to optimize your logistics flow.
What are barcodes?
A barcode is a sequence of lines that can be read by a scanner. The code may consist of digits only or a combination of digits, letters, and punctuation. A barcode is linked to a product, making it traceable at all times. In places where many products or people are present, the use of barcodes is essential—think supermarkets, retail stores, warehouses, etc.
What types of barcodes exist?
There are two types of barcodes: 1D and 2D codes. A 1D code is a linear code, typically shown as black vertical lines on a light background. A 2D code, such as a QR code, is two-dimensional and can store much more data thanks to its square blocks. These require more advanced scanners.
If you sell unique products, you need a unique product code. You can request barcodes from GS1, a global organization that develops international standards for identifying, capturing, and sharing data. The most familiar barcode type is the EAN (European Article Numbering) code. This code is mandatory for products sold via retailers or platforms like bol.com.
Besides the official GS1 code, it is useful to use internal barcodes to optimize your operations. This is particularly relevant for wholesalers, as it allows for classification based on category, article number, batch, etc. Wholesalers’ products already have official barcodes but often lack consistency due to multiple suppliers. Creating internal barcodes is easy: all you need is a scanner, software that converts article codes to barcodes, and a label printer.
What are the benefits of using barcodes?
Without proper control, customers may receive too many, too few, or incorrect products. Some customers don’t report the mistake, distorting available stock. With barcodes, the correct product is always deducted. Barcodes also allow for faster inventory checks and reduce administrative work.
Barcodes significantly reduce error margins in the warehouse. They result in satisfied customers because more shipments are accurate. This leads to positive reviews, repeat purchases, brand awareness, increased revenue, and lower costs.
Innovations
Barcode scanning technology continues to evolve. Most companies still use traditional scanners, but innovations can provide better results and comfort. At Webship, for example, we use ring scanners that allow pickers to work hands-free and with more precision. Other examples include scanning gloves or smartphone scanning, so changes can be tracked in real time in ERP or WMS systems like Webship Online.
